Reviewed on Thursday October 23

In contrast to the likes of Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, the period of Rodriguez’s creative peak isn’t up for debate. The Detroit musician has released just two albums, which means his ticket-selling ability pertains to a clearly defined set of songs. However, it’s not as though his entire following was secured upon the release of 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming From Reality.

Midway through tonight’s Concert Hall appearance, one woman proudly yelled, “I’ve loved you since the ’80s!” When someone promptly responded that he’s been around for longer than that, she explained, “I’m only 42.” This forthright patron certainly wasn’t the youngest person in the room. The age range dipped as low as five and stretched to older than the fragile star’s 72 years. The bottom line is that, even though Rodriguez’s repertoire is limited in quantity, his songs continue to infatuate listeners of all ages.

It’s fair to say expectations were high and setlist predictions seemed a safe bet. However, it wasn’t quite a front-to-back run-through of his greatest hits. While there was a good portion of cherished original material (largely taken from Cold Fact), it was interwoven with an almost equivalent number of covers, including Little Richard’s ‘Lucille’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’.

A trio of exceptionally learned musicians joined the great man. The rhythm section kept things steady, while the lead guitarist was occasionally granted too much importance. After overcoming certain technical issues, Rodriguez himself proved a rather adept classical guitarist.

Anyhow, these are essentially peripheral details; tonight’s gig was defined by moments. Sixto’s entrance – dressed in fancy black and wearing a wonderful head of hair – incited an awestruck standing ovation. He struggled to consistently muster sufficient vocal conviction, but when he did hit the notes, his voice exerted striking sweetness. An especially precise rendition of ‘Crucify Your Mind’ absolutely justified an earnest crowd member’s request to hear it “again please”.

While an awareness of the event’s phenomenal nature permeated the Concert Hall, it wasn’t necessarily a nostalgia trip. Rather, it was an up-close experience of beautiful songs, performed by a beautiful man, who many, varied individuals have fallen deeply in love with. Perhaps the largest cheer of the evening followed another audience cry of “Thanks for coming to Sydney!” Even though Rodriguez has been here a half-dozen times previously (as far back as 1979 and as recently as last year), it still felt like this could easily not have occurred. Seeing the man was like grabbing onto a piece of history.

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